Conservation League
THE TIME
IS NOW
Our Last Best Chance
Securing
a Bright
Future

4

9

Clean Air
Everywhere

SCGreen.org

11

14

A Hard SELL

Big Box
Zoning

16

From the Director

A Campaign for the 21st Century

N

Fall 2008

Vol.19

No. 3

Staff
____________________

ext year, the Conservation
League will mark its 20th
birthday. We should, and will,
celebrate our accomplishments
for the last two decades.
Among those have been
victories over factory hog
farms, rogue interstates
and sewer lines, all of
which threatened our most
treasured landscapes. Other
victories include the creation
of the Conservation Bank,
the protection of critical
properties like Sandy
Island, and the passage of progressive
comprehensive plans and zoning codes
that protect hundreds of thousands of
acres from sprawl.
But this birthday is also an occasion
to look ahead and ask an uncomfortable
question: Given the trends and threats that
we now face in the Lowcountry, are we
doing enough? If we continue along our
present path, will we preserve the ecological
resources, the beauty and the quality of life
that we now enjoy?
More than one year ago, our board and
staff confronted that question. We agreed
that the answer was no. Given the pace
and magnitude of change, we resolved that
we would have to work harder, faster, and
in more arenas than ever before. We built
a new campaign around that belief and
contacted some of our core supporters.
When we asked Hugh Lane, Jr. to help, he
responded: “Yes. I’ve been thinking about
this and I believe we’ve got about five
years to save the coast.” Hugh’s message
resonated with our board members, staff
and early donors and inspired the name
that has been given to the campaign –
The Time is Now.
Then we went about the task of
identifying the five program areas in which
we would intensify our work: Land and
Community; Energy and Climate; Air,
Water and Public Health; Sustainable

Agriculture, and Public Education and
Activism. We calculated that the financial
resources necessary to rise to the challenges
we face in these areas would total $10
million over five years.
The response to date has been
extraordinary. Virtually everyone we’ve
spoken to has reacted with the same
enthusiasm Hugh did. To date, we’ve
received pledges of more than $8.6 million.
The last increments of a campaign are
always the most challenging, but we are
confident that our members and supporters
will understand the urgency.
I am personally grateful to Roy
Richards and Laura Gates, who have led
the campaign and kept the Conservation
League fires burning. It is a privilege and
an honor to work with them.
As Roy puts it, the campaign is about
accelerating our work. It is about pushing
the efforts we might otherwise have
undertaken in the future directly to the
present. It is about compressing time
around actions that, taken today, will
yield great results. In Shakespeare’s words,
“There is a tide in the affairs of men [and
women, he might have said] when taken at
the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all
the voyage of their life is bound in shallows
and in miseries. On such a full sea are we
now afloat, and we must take the current
when it serves, or lose our ventures.”
Four hundred years later another
Englishman, Winston Churchill, urged a
recalcitrant United States to intervene in a
war against European tyranny. Churchill
explained that the British were resolved to
win, but that the need was great. America,
he argued, must step into the breach. “We
shall not fail or falter. We shall not weaken
or tire. Give us the tools and we will finish
the job.”
Thank you for giving us the tools
to secure a bright future for the South
Carolina coast.

The strategies that the League will employ
to bring this vision to reality are as follows:

ince its founding in 1989, the Coastal Conservation
League has proven that it has the talent, the track
record and the relationships with partner organizations
(including state and local governments) to promote
effective stewardship of the South Carolina coast. The
Conservation League has also had the unique advantage
of being the only conservation group with a full-time
staff drafting conservation legislation and promoting its
passage in the State House.
Too often, we encounter people who claim that
growth is inevitable, or that conservation and economic
development are mutually exclusive, or that one more
highway or strip mall is “a done deal.” Our response is
that a certain amount of growth may be inevitable, but
how we grow is up to us. We don’t have to repeat the
mistakes that so many other regions in our nation have
made. We can do it right and choose to make the South
Carolina coast a model of preservation, conservation,
and livable growth as well as a leader in addressing the
causes and implications of climate change.
Composed of an energetic and expert 30-member
staff, more than 4,000 members, and a dynamic,
engaged board of directors, the Conservation League
envisions a bright future for the Palmetto State, leading
the country in:
• Protected Wildlife Habitat, Farms and Wetlands;
• Functional and Inspiring Cities and Towns;
• Clean Air and Water;
• Energy Efficiency and Climate Responsibility, and
• Engaged and Informed Citizens.

* Campaign logo by Gil Shuler Graphic Design

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

Land and Community: We will
substantially increase our efforts in regional
planning and rural land conservation; we
will provide critical technical planning
support to rapidly growing counties and
municipalities, and we will work at the
state level on key legislative initiatives like
annexation reform.
Energy and Climate: We will work at
the local, state, and federal level to reduce
carbon emissions and promote energy
efficiency, and ensure that Lowcountry
communities take reasonable measures to
minimize the impacts of sea level rise.
Air, Water and Public Health: We will
work to protect regional air quality by
reducing air emissions from power plants,
port operations, and industrial facilities; we
will work to restore natural flows to rivers
altered by major dams, and we will promote
a water withdrawal permitting system to
protect the state’s river systems.
Sustainable Agriculture: We will work
with farmers at the local and state level to
promote local and sustainable agricultural
practices as well as local and regional
markets.
Public Education and Activism: We
will develop a public education campaign
designed to expand the base of citizens
who are aware of and engaged in political
decisions that affect the environment.

A Brief History
In the spring of 1999, the Coastal Conservation
League launched its first major fundraising
campaign with a goal of raising $6 million. The
overall mission of the campaign was to provide for
the expansion of programmatic work, enhanced
use of technology, and increased financial
stability through an enlarged endowment and
the establishment of an emergency reserve fund.
Thanks to our board members and our supporters
up and down the South Carolina coast, we not only
met that goal; we exceeded it.
In 2009, the Conservation League will celebrate
its 20th anniversary. During this time, the League
has grown into the most influential conservation
organization in South Carolina and is widely
recognized as one of the most effective regional
environmental groups in the country. With a
staff of 30 full-time individuals, the Conservation
League works with citizens and opinion leaders
to influence local and state decision-making
regarding issues that will impact South Carolina’s
coastal environment for generations to come. Staff
members of the Coastal Conservation League are
experts in issues related to land use, air and water
quality, wildlife habitat, and climate and energy
– our broad programmatic work areas.
Thanks to the previous campaign, the League
now has offices in three coastal locations (Beaufort,
Charleston and Georgetown), as well as a legislative
office in the state capital of Columbia. One of the
hallmarks of the League’s success for nearly two
decades is its lasting partnerships – forging key
relationships and active collaborations whenever
possible with individual citizens, leaders and
communities across the state.
The Time is Now
The Conservation League now finds itself ready
to take the next step to meet the ever-increasing
challenges that face our region. We have begun a
new campaign, entitled The Time is Now, with an
ambitious goal of $10 million. Already, we have
commitments totaling $8.6 million. The early

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

success of the “silent phase” of the campaign is a
testament to our board, our campaign cabinet and
leadership committee, and our donors.
Our supporters understand the urgent need to
increase the League’s capacity if we are to protect
the environment and quality of life along this
unique coast. Here are some of the most critical
issues we must address:
Threats and Opportunities

• Unprecedented population growth coupled
with inadequate planning continues to threaten
Lowcountry farms, forests and traditional
communities and to degrade our environment
and quality of life. Without responsible
transportation planning, for example, many
major roads in the Lowcountry will reach failing
levels of service by 2025.
• Harmful “takings” legislation would make it
prohibitive for state and local governments to
protect our environment and quality of
life because vast amounts of money would have
to be paid to litigate alleged losses due to zoning
changes and permit denials.
• The sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of timber
land along the coast by timber companies has
destabilized our rural land base and opened the
door for massive land speculation and subdivision.
• Unchecked, rogue annexations of large parcels
of land into neighboring townships by land
speculators will result in the over-development
of remaining rural land and the destruction of
irreplaceable habitats.
• The construction of a mammoth coal-fired power
plant is proposed along the rare limestone bluffs
of the Great Pee Dee River. This plant, along
with 150 additional new coal power plants
throughout the nation, would add to the mercury
pollution that is presently compromising all of
the major rivers and streams in the coastal
plain and increase CO2 levels that are already
dangerously high.
photos by Tom Blagden

The Campaign

Campaign Goals
The purpose of this comprehensive campaign is
to ensure that our efforts to address critical issues
are broad, permanent and effective. The forces
bearing down on the Lowcountry require the Coastal
Conservation League to take on more challenges,
in more places, with more frequency. This will
require enlarging and enhancing the Conservation
League’s programs and increasing our endowment.
The campaign will increase both our revenues from
individual donors as well as our foundation grants,
especially in the arena of energy and climate change.
Campaign goals for the League’s programs and
endowment are as follows:
Land and Community..........................$3,800,000
Energy and Climate..............................$1,600,000
Air, Water and Public Health...................$800,000
Sustainable Agriculture............................$500,000
Public Education and Activism.................$700,000
Endowment..........................................$2,600,000
Strong Support During "Silent Phase"
Many Conservation League friends and supporters
(whose names are listed on pages 6 and 7) have already
responded generously during the “silent phase” of the
campaign. Now we look forward to your enthusiastic
response. We know that our campaign goal is an
ambitious one – to raise $10 million over five years,
but we are at a critical crossroads in the race to save our
coast. The work we do in the next few years will have
enormous impact for generations to come.
You, our members, have made the great successes
of the Conservation League possible over the past two
decades. You have always answered our call for support
with extraordinary generosity. Shortly, you will be
receiving a personal letter (with a pledge form) asking
you to consider making a gift to this important campaign
in addition to your annual giving. Both gifts are critical
to our on-going work. Your campaign gift may be a
one-time gift or a gift you wish to make over the five
years of the campaign. Whichever you prefer, we extend
our sincere thanks to you and we pledge to continue to
protect this unique coastal plain for all of us.

“I decided to
accelerate my giving
to the Conservation
League because it
will be too late in
five years. I want to
help save this place
for my children and
grandchildren and I
have to do it now.”
Roy Richards,
Campaign Chair

Laura Gates,
Board Chair
of the Coastal
Conservation
League

“Our region is a
diverse economy
encompassing
virtually every
business sector
from health care
to tourism to
manufacturing.
It is set in an
environment of
unparalleled beauty.
Our economic
future depends on
protecting all these
assets.”

League Awarded 4-Star Rating
The Coastal Conservation League has
once again earned Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating
for sound fiscal management. Charity Navigator, the largest
charity evaluator in America, evaluates nonprofits across the
country for how they allocate and grow their finances. Less
than a quarter of the charities rated have received Charity
Navigator’s highest rating.
“The Coastal Conservation League outperforms the majority
of nonprofits in America with respect to fiscal responsibility,”
states Charity Navigator. “This ‘exceptional’ designation from
Charity Navigator differentiates the Coastal Conservation
League from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is
worthy of their trust.” To visit the Conservation League’s
rating page go to www.charitynavigator.org.

With the overwhelming success of
the “silent phase” of The Time is Now
campaign, we have already begun to
expand our existing work and initiate
new programs. Now we welcome
everyone to join this ambitious effort.
Please look for our campaign letter in
the mail and know how much every gift
matters. You have made it possible for
the League to succeed. You will make it
possible for our success to continue.

New and Enhanced
Partnerships
Save Energy,
Save Time
A new state energy policy should
incorporate better transportation
and land use planning so people
and goods can move more
efficiently.

“The Conservation
League is working
at a whole new level
in terms of technical
expertise, community
activism and
regional planning.
Integral to our
success are the new
partnerships we are
building in the areas
of health, business,
agriculture and
energy.”
– Megan Desrosiers,
Director of Conservation
Programs for the Coastal
Conservation League

Blueprint for a State Energy Policy
“We’re not talking about
lowering the standard of
living in South Carolina;
we’re talking about
improving it.”
– Ben Moore, Director of Energy and Climate Program

F

or the last year-and-a-half, the
Coastal Conservation League’s
Executive Director Dana Beach has
served on Governor Mark Sanford’s
Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory
Committee (CECAC). Representing a wide
range of business, energy and environmental
interests in South Carolina, the committee
has submitted to Governor Sanford an
action plan of 51 recommendations aimed
at a 35% drop in the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020.
South Carolina’s plan, released in August,
is one of the first in the South to establish
a statewide emissions reduction target.
Furthermore, CECAC’s recommendations,
if adopted by the Legislature and the
Governor, will significantly reduce South
Carolina’s contribution to global warming at
a relatively low cost.
c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

The committee’s final report includes
breakdowns of the costs and benefits of
implementing each recommendation,
including smart land use planning, “green”
fuels, tougher building codes and consumer
energy efficiency programs. The report
estimates the overall cost of implementing
the plan to be $5 for every ton of carbon
dioxide reduced.
The Conservation League and its
partners have participated at every level of
the CECAC process, from technical working
groups to the advisory committee itself.
None of this would be possible without the
resources and manpower that comprise the
League’s new Energy and Climate Program,
directed by Ben Moore and established with
funds from The Time is Now campaign.
Reaching a consensus and developing
these 51 recommendations in such a short
time is a remarkable achievement on
the part of CECAC and its participants.
With the completion of the planning and
analytical phase, the challenge now lies in
prioritizing recommendations and building
support for their implementation. The
Conservation League’s Energy and Climate
Program will continue to play a leading
role in establishing a state energy policy for
South Carolina in this first decade of the
21st century.

Innovation at Work
New Coalitions for a Clean
and Prosperous Port
“My vision for livable
communities in
Charleston, Jasper,
and Beaufort Counties
is a vision of cleaner
air, which is good for our health
and good for our economy.”
– Nancy Vinson, Director of Air,
Water and Public Health Program

Our Children Deserve Better
Charleston is ranked the 14th worst
metropolitan area in the nation for yearround particle pollution. The biggest source
of this pollution is the Port of Charleston.

Cooperation and Collaboration in
Regional Planning
“We can now go
from case study to
implementation,
translating sound
ideas into reality.”
– Hamilton Davis, Land and Community
Project Manager

S

imilar to the health hazards
of inhaling tobacco smoke,
breathing diesel exhaust from
ships and trucks also causes
cancer, heart disease, stroke
and premature death, as well as chronic
asthma. Just as people couldn’t see how
such a popular ritual as tobacco could
be harmful, we have grown up breathing
diesel’s invisible toxic particles, not
believing that such tiny matter suspended
in the air could really hurt us.
In both 2007 and 2008, the American
Lung Association awarded Charleston
an “F” in air quality due to the amount
of hazardous particle pollution in its
air. The same report rates Charleston
14th worst in the nation for year-round
particle pollution, ahead of larger cities
like the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area,
San Diego, and Seattle. And what is the
primary source of this harmful particulate
matter? Emissions from ships and
trucks calling on the Port of Charleston.
These emissions appear to be the largest
unregulated source of air pollution in
the state. Furthermore, the proposed
new expansion of the Port of Charleston
is expected to double its cargo volume
and could cause the Charleston region to
exceed federal clean air standards for fine
particulate pollution.
In response, the Coastal Conservation
League has developed relationships with
the Charleston County Medical Society
and the S.C. Medical Association, along

F

unding from The Time is Now
campaign has enabled the Coastal
Conservation League to not only
double its Land and Community
program staff, but has also made it
possible for the League to provide paid
consultants and technical expertise to
land planning efforts up and down our
coast.
The Berkeley Charleston Dorchester
Council of Governments’ (BCD COG)
development of a regional plan for the

with other health and smoke-free partners
and neighborhood and civic groups to call
for maximum reduction of air pollution
from new and existing ports in South
Carolina and increased air monitoring
around port facilities. In addition,
the Conservation League, represented
by the Southern Environmental Law
Center, is challenging the Port of
Charleston expansion permits before the
Administrative Law Court.
“It has made all the difference to have
the most respected voices in the medical
community making the connection
between environmental health and public
health,” comments Nancy Vinson, Director
of the League’s Air, Water and Public
Health Program. These new partnerships
and alliances with healthcare professionals
and community leaders are made possible
by The Time is Now campaign. With
increased capacity in the Air, Water and
Public Health program, Nancy and her staff
can foster these nontraditional partnerships
to help effect real policy change on vital
health issues facing South Carolina.

Clean Air Everywhere Coalition
Members of the “Clean Air Everywhere”
coalition meet to discuss strategies for increased
air monitoring of Port of Charleston operations.

Tri-County area is a prime example of
the Conservation League’s enhanced
influence in the complex arena of land
planning. The regional plan is bringing
together stakeholders and leaders from
various municipalities and counties to
engage in a substantive planning process
that ideally will guide transportation and
land use policy for decades to come.
League Conservation Programs
Director Megan Desrosiers serves on
the Regional Land Use Committee and
(continued on page 10)

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

Project Manager Hamilton Davis sits
on the Regional Land Use Technical
Committee. The first public input
session for the regional plan was a huge
success. With nearly 300 participants
and more than 1700 survey responses,
the overwhelming majority of
respondents favored the construction of
multi-modal, mixed use communities
and the preservation of rural lands.
The Conservation League will
continue to work to ensure that the
plan embodies the most efficient and
sustainable transportation and land
use policies. The League will also
work to ensure that such a plan can be
practically adopted and implemented by
individual local governments.
Farther south – at the intersection
of northern Beaufort County, Jasper
County and Hampton County – the
Conservation League has funded a

planning initiative to coordinate growth
and conservation centered around the
Town of Yemassee. More than a year
ago, the League hired Keane & Co., a
regional planning firm, to work with
Yemassee town officials and surrounding
landowners. The product they have
developed includes a revitalization
blueprint for downtown Yemassee,
as well as the designation of tens of
thousands of acres of undeveloped lands
to remain in their present rural state.
The League’s operating principle
is that a clear vision for the future
of communities like Yemassee is
essential in order to avoid random and
misdirected growth. We are working on
a similar effort in the Ridgeland area of
northern Jasper County.
There’s good news on the
transportation front as well. For
the first time in history, Charleston

County and the City of Charleston
are collaborating on a solution to
traffic congestion that will positively
impact the future development of a
rural sea island. In response to an
initial proposal by Charleston County
transportation consultants for a 5-lane
Maybank Highway on John’s Island, the
Conservation League partnered with
the county and city to bring in Hall
Planning & Engineering to develop a
transportation solution for the Maybank
corridor that would relieve traffic
congestion without eroding the rural
landscape of John’s Island.

Reinvigorating the Local Farming Economy

Local Bounty – A plate of freshly
cooked vegetables from Marshview
Community Organic Farm of
St. Helena Island.

“Our goal is to
forge direct and
lasting connections
between local food
producers and their
communities.”
- Cathy Forrester, League Administration
Director and Coordinator of the
Sustainable Agriculture Program

C

overed extensively in the
League’s summer newsletter, the
Coastal Conservation League
has launched a new Sustainable
Agriculture Program with funding from
The Time is Now campaign. Specifically,
campaign support has funded work to
promote local sustainable agriculture
and to facilitate a “farm to table”
approach.
Through a grant by the Conservation
League, the nonprofit Lowcountry
Local First, a chapter of the national
Business Alliance for Local Living
Economies, established a new

position of Director of Sustainable
Agriculture. Alan Moore has been
hired as the program’s first director
and is working closely with League
Administration Director and
Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator
Cathy Forrester.
In its first year, the program has
assisted in launching four Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA)
cooperatives in the Charleston and
Beaufort areas and has collaborated with
the S.C. Department of Agriculture to
recruit nearly 100 restaurants to the
new Fresh on the Menu program, which
c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

is part of the Agriculture Department’s
statewide Certified South Carolina
Grown campaign.
Ongoing initiatives of the program
also include:
• Expanding Fresh on the Menu
to the Beaufort and Georgetown
areas;
• Expanding the CSA program to
include shares in locally grown meats;
• Recruiting new growers and
landowners to increase local,
sustainable food production in
South Carolina;
• Partnering with Clemson University
to develop an online marketing
program for local producers and
consumers, and
• Developing a community urban
garden program.

Patrick Moore

Innovation at Work

Conservation Stewards
In Memoriam

Berry Edwards Joins Board

Strachan Donnelley
1942-2008

We welcome Berryman “Berry” Edwards of
Hilton Head Island to the Board of Directors of the
Coastal Conservation League. An avid sportsman,
bird hunter and fisherman, Berry founded The
Greenery Inc. in 1973, which began as a small
landscape nursery and today has 525 employees.
Berry has served his community of Hilton Head
for some 35 years, as a member of the original
planning commission, Chairman of the Chamber
of Commerce, and Board Chair of Volunteers in
Medicine.

“The whole is not merely greater
than the sum of the parts, but
different.”

T

he statement above, from
Land Institute founder
and director Wes Jackson,
was given as a definition of
the late Strachan Donnelley’s theory
of “orchestral causation,” especially
as it relates to the natural world.
The definition may also serve to
define Strachan himself, who died
of gastric cancer on July 12th.
Described by his family as
“a passionate conservationist,
philosopher, fly-fisherman,
husband, father, grandfather,
brother, friend, and lover of all
things natural,” Strachan lived
a full and unconventional life.
Fortunately for South Carolina, the
fullness and originality of his life
spilled over from his native Illinois
and long-time home of New York
City into the Lowcountry, where
the Donnelley family has been
a steward of the land for three
generations.
Early on, Strachan’s parents,
Dorothy and Gaylord Donnelley of
Chicago, became leaders in South
Carolina’s modern conservation
movement, donating three coastal
islands to The Nature Conservancy
and one to Ducks Unlimited, and
placing conservation easements on
their beloved Ashepoo Plantation
and two other islands. These
donations provided the catalyst for
one of the most successful private/
public conservation partnerships
in the history of the United States
– the ACE Basin initiative, which
to date has protected more than
60% of the 300,000-acre watershed
of the Ashepoo, Combahee and
Edisto Rivers.

As chair emeritus of the
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley
Foundation, Strachan – together
with his sister, Laura, and brother,
Elliott, who both survive him –
carried on his parents’ legacy of
stewardship and innovation, both
at Ashepoo and beyond, generously
supporting meaningful and bold
initiatives in both conservation and
education throughout the South
Carolina Lowcountry.
Armed with a Doctorate in
Philosophy, Strachan thought
deeply about man’s relationship to
the earth and applied his theories
to the real world.
In 2002, he founded the
Center for Humans and Nature,
establishing offices in Illinois,
New York and South Carolina. Its
mission: To explore and promote
moral and civic responsibilities
to human communities and to
natural ecosystems and landscapes.
The Center is but the latest
expression of Strachan and his
family’s unwavering commitment
to the betterment of man and
society in harmony with the
environment. South Carolina is a
better place for their vision.

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

Ruthie and Berry Edwards in Costa Rica.
An active member of the SOLO (Southern
Lowcountry Focus Area) Task Force, Berry
has placed a conservation easement on 800
acres of hunting lands in the Savannah River
basin and is working to persuade neighboring
landowners to do the same. Other boards on
which he currently serves include: The Savannah
Bancorp, Harbourside Community Bank and the
Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.
SCGreen.org
Conservation League Board Member Libby
Smith and conservation activist Charlie Sneed have
founded a new nonprofit called SCGreen, which is
creating an important new Web-based resource for
South Carolinians called SCGreen.org. SCGreen.org
is a dynamic statewide network of people, news, and
green and sustainable resources.
If you’re interested in clean air and water, healthy
local food, efficient and clean mass transit, safe
bicycling and walking pathways, clean and renewable
energy, parks and open spaces, and other green and
sustainable tools, go to www.SCGreen.org now
and take their survey. Networking resources will be
available by year's end.

Legislature 2008

You Made

the

Difference!

The 2008 Legislative Session was filled with
numerous successes that bode well for the long-term
health of South Carolina’s communities, natural
environment and quality of life. As always, the Coastal
Conservation League’s accomplishments at the State
House would not have been possible without the tireless
and enthusiastic grassroots efforts on the part of our
members and friends in making phone calls, sending
letters and emails, and traveling to Columbia to speak
with representatives on key issues at critical junctures in
the legislative session.
The direct grassroots communication and lobbying
kept our priorities front and center during the 2008
General Assembly and spurred media coverage of
conservation issues statewide. The weekly Lobby
Team Tuesdays drew more participants than ever from
all corners of the Palmetto State and our 5th Annual
Conservation Lobby Day celebrated record-breaking
attendance. Bolstered by the success of The Time is Now
campaign, we will apply additional resources to enhance
our presence at the State House and keep our members
engaged. Stay tuned as we implement an even more
interactive Activist Network for 2009.

Energizing Our Future
This year, the Conservation League
partnered with the S.C. Electric
Cooperatives, Progress Energy, Duke,
SCANA and Santee Cooper, which
led to the passage of a number of
energy efficiency bills that will go a
long way toward improving South
Carolina’s efforts to reduce energy
consumption and to support renewable
energy. For more details, go to our Web
site at www.CoastalConservationLeague.org.
SCDOT Reforms Implemented
To follow up on the Conservation League’s hard-fought
efforts to reform the S.C. Department of Transportation
(SCDOT) in 2007, the League advocated for the adoption
of R.3165, the SCDOT prioritization regulations. Last
fall, the League worked closely with SCDOT staff to
ensure that the regulations provided detailed explanations
of how alternative transportation solutions, environmental
impacts, economic development, and consistency with
local land use plans could be interpreted by SCDOT’s
staff and commissioners as they prioritize transportation
projects. Language was also included in the regulation to
limit when the SCDOT Commission could deviate from
the prioritized list of projects.
Annexation Reform on Track
for 2009
Inappropriate and harmful annexations continue to
place an undue burden on taxpayers – undermining local
and regional planning efforts, and threatening the quality
of life that we have come to enjoy in South Carolina.
The Conservation League therefore continues to advocate
strongly for reform of our state’s outdated annexation laws.
This year, annexation reform stakeholders met
numerous times under the leadership of Representative
Ben Hagood (R-Charleston), but all parties could not
agree on all aspects of a reform package. Thankfully,
a great deal of interest remains in continuing to work
towards a solution. Stakeholders will meet through the fall
to reach agreements on key sticking points in the hope of
developing a reasonable, comprehensive and meaningful
annexation reform bill for 2009.

Safeguarding Our
Special Places
For the last four years, the
Conservation Bank has been the
most important source of public
funding for conservation of our
natural and historic properties,
having permanently protected
approximately 134,000 acres of
land across South Carolina. In the
wake of nearly 200 acres of rural
acreage converted daily to urban and
suburban uses, the Conservation
League continues to advocate for
increased funding for purchase of
significant lands.
In 2008, our hard work paid
off. For the first time in the history
of the bank, the House agreed to
allocate an additional $1 million
in its version of the FY 2008-2009
Budget.
However, alarmingly low
fiscal projections by the Board of
Economic Advisors forced the Senate
to cut this additional funding. Once
that occurred, the Conservation
Bank's base funding was in jeopardy
of being diverted to other state
needs, but thanks to your calls
and emails, we were successful in
maintaining at least base funding for
the coming year.

Protect Our Water Supply â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The current drought has heightened concern over the

Nancy Cregg

lack of safeguards for South Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh water supply.

Protection of State
Water Supply
Conservationists and business
interests agree that South Carolina
needs a surface water withdrawal
permitting program to protect
existing industry, to foster long-term
economic development, to promote
healthy riverine ecosystems and their
recreational use, and to maintain an
abundance of water for new economic
development opportunities. Water
withdrawal legislation is also necessary
to ensure a level playing field to
negotiate with neighboring states over
our shared water resources.
This year, a few special interests
opposed the protective minimum

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

flow standards recommended by state
scientists, insisting instead on adopting
flow standards that would have left
many rivers and streams at or below
the lowest recorded water levels in
decades, and jeopardized the interests
of current businesses as well as fish and
wildlife resources.
As a result, the Conservation
League and its conservation partners
opposed S. 428 in its current form,
stopping passage of this harmful bill.
The League will continue its work in
the coming year to ensure passage of a
sound water withdrawal bill.

North Coast

A Developer’s Dream – A Resident’s Nightmare
“More roads are not the answer to effective and efficient hurricane evacuation.
Better mapping of our coast to determine who needs to leave and how far west
people should travel, more shelters, mass transit, and better land use are the answer.”
– Nancy Cave, League North Coast Office Director

A Hard SELL
The $700 million, 28-mile highway
would destroy 334 acres of wetlands
and force 114 families and businesses
to relocate. Moreover, it would bring
thousands more cars onto Highway 17
and into Murrells Inlet and Pawleys
Island, and would degrade the Waccamaw

Myrtle Beach

Surfside
Beach

Murrells
Inlet

The $700-million, 28-mile highway known as SELL would open up vast areas of western
Horry and Georgetown Counties to development.
National Wildlife Refuge and the
Waccamaw River – source of drinking
water for the region.
The S.C. Department of
Transportation held four public
hearings over the summer and the
citizens opposing the road project so
outnumbered those in favor that local
politicians seemed to be the only ones

left advocating in its favor. In fact,
both The Georgetown Times and The
Coastal Observer have gone on record as
opposing SELL. Politicians would do
well to listen to their constituents and
let this boondoggle die a natural death.

Citizens Reject SELL
In four public hearings
held this summer, citizens
overwhelmingly opposed a
“Southern Evacuation Life
Line” (SELL).

c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

Nancy Cave

Prescription for Sprawl
This summer, the draft
Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a decades-old proposal to
connect Highway 17 and Highway 701
was finally released. While there’s no
money left to complete the EIS, much
less to build the new road, proponents
have reinvented the 701 Connector
as a hurricane evacuation route, in
hopes of resuscitating this needless and
potentially harmful interstate-standard
highway.
As expected, the preferred route for
the renamed “Southern Evacuation
Life Line” (SELL) would create a loop
around the Grand Strand and open
up vast areas of western Horry and
Georgetown Counties to development.
Specifically, SELL would begin at the
intersection of S.C. 22 and U.S. 501
and end at the U.S. 17-Bypass, just
south of Holmestown Road.

North Coast

Public Utility to be Held Accountable
Medical professionals challenge Santee Cooper’s latest claims about mercury contamination, while
energy experts question key assumptions that have led to Santee Cooper’s proposal to build a coal plant.
Independent Analysis Needed
n response to a multi-milliondollar public relations campaign
launched this summer by Santee
Cooper, experts are weighing in to
objectively evaluate claims by the
state-owned utility that a new coal fired
power plant is needed along the Great
Pee Dee River, and that its mercury
emissions are nothing to worry about.
Earlier this year, the Conservation
League engaged Santee Cooper in
a review of the utility’s most recent
generation plan and both have agreed
to work with Synapse Energy, an
independent consulting firm with
extensive expertise in utility planning,
to examine such factors as demand
forecast, efficiency and natural gas
potential, and other alternatives to
coal. The Conservation League feels
compelled to conduct the study because,
under South Carolina law, no outside
independent group formally scrutinizes
Santee Cooper’s claims when it wants to
build a new power plant.
Experts Refute Claims
In July, Lonnie Carter, President and
CEO of Santee Cooper, submitted an
op-ed to the Post and Courier dismissing
health concerns over the 114 pounds
of mercury that the new plant would
emit into the atmosphere each year.
Physicians in Florence and Columbia,
joined with Michael McCally, M.D.,
executive director of the Washington,
D.C.-based Physicians for Social
Responsibility, to refute those claims,
stating:
“We as trained medical professionals
were stunned that this prominent state
employee would publicly make reckless
and misleading claims about a serious
and proven health hazard. His remarks

I

Coal Plant Must Be Stopped – Santee Cooper’s proposed coal plant will have a
1,245-acre footprint (shown above in green) along the Great Pee Dee River and will emit 3,500
tons of ozone-forming nitrous oxide, 7,500 tons of soot-forming sulfur dioxide, 900 tons of lungdamaging particulate matter, and 114 pounds of toxic mercury into our atmosphere every year.
deserve immediate correction . . .
Minimizing these risks recalls what the
cigarette makers said about tar . . .
“. . . Make no mistake, mercury
is a known toxin that can cause
serious health effects in babies and
children. That is why EPA has set fish
consumption limits for expectant and
nursing mothers . . .”
South Carolina Deserves Better
This fall, James Hansen, Director of
the NASA Goddard Institute for Space
Studies and Columbia University's
Department of Earth Science, also
responded in a letter published in The
State and Post and Courier newspapers.
In addition to addressing the health
risks of the proposed coal plant, Hansen
warned of the exacerbation of global
warming that would result if the new
plant is built:
“In short, Santee Cooper is
proposing to dramatically increase its
c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

carbon output, just when we need all
our utilities to begin ratcheting down
their emissions.
“Other utilities have gotten the
message. Citing the unsuitability of
geologic conditions in South Carolina
for carbon sequestration, Duke Energy
has declared it will no longer build any
coal plants in South Carolina. Progress
Energy has declared a moratorium on
new coal plant construction until it
realizes savings of 2,000 megawatts of
electricity through efficiency measures.
[Santee Cooper’s proposed plant would
produce 1300 megawatts.] And South
Carolina-based SCANA has said it has
taken coal off the table . . .
“Santee Cooper has a responsibility
to pursue the public interest, and that
interest is ill-served by outmoded energy
decisions that exacerbate, rather than
help solve, what has been described as
the greatest problem to face modern
humanity.”

South Coast

Land Deal Finalized for Jasper Port
“Deepening only to the Jasper Port will save millions of tax dollars, protect
drinking water supplies, and provide expanded port capacity for both states.”
– Patrick Moore, League South Coast Office Director

I

Future Jasper
Port Site

Andrea Malloy

n an important step for the future
of shipping in the region, the
South Carolina and Georgia Ports
Authorities have purchased a 1,518acre dredge spoil site on the north
shore of the Savannah River in Jasper
County for a new bi-state, mega-ship
port facility. The newly purchased Jasper
Port site is about 13 miles from the
Atlantic Ocean and will accommodate
the deeper-draft container ships that will
pass through the Panama Canal once
expansion of the Canal is completed in
2014.
Not only does the construction of a
bi-state port facility on this site achieve
substantial port capacity expansion
for both South Carolina and Georgia,
it also reduces the length and scope
needed for dredging and deepening
the Savannah River. In contrast to the
Jasper Port Site, Savannah’s existing
Garden City terminal – at 26 miles
inland – is twice as far from the ocean
and necessitates far more dredging to
accommodate the mega-ships. Such

dredging could cause harmful saltwater
intrusion to degrade both the water
supplies of the Upper Floridan Aquifer
and the vital wildlife habitat in the
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.
Now with the port site secured, the
reality of a Jasper Port stands to bring
economic expansion at a far lower
environmental price to South Carolina.

Jasper Port Becoming a Reality
South Carolina and Georgia recently
purchased a 1,518-acre site along the
Savannah River for a new bi-state,
mega-ship port facility.

State Agency Facilitates Dock Proliferation
DHEC and its Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM)
side with developers to eviscerate Beaufort County’s dock ordinance

Tom Blagden

I

County Law Ignored
n May 2000, Beaufort County
enacted a dock ordinance restricting
the length of docks in small tidal
creeks to 300 feet in order to protect
water quality and the proliferation
of long docks in these highly sensitive
waters. The county ordinance takes
precedence over state regulations, which
allow for docks of 1,000 feet.
Prior to passage of the county
ordinance, developers successfully
secured a slate of dock permits for
Bull Point Plantation, a 704-acre
development along Huspah Creek.
Then in 2004, developers went back
to OCRM to amend one of the dock
permits while eliminating another,
combining two private docks into one
joint-use dock of greater length.
The amendment application
requested that a 595-foot dock
be lengthened to 720 feet, while
eliminating a 225-foot dock altogether.

In response to a threat from WalMart last winter to construct one of
its super stores in a low-lying area on
Lady’s Island, the City of Beaufort has
developed an ordinance to confine megaretail development to S.C. 170 and S.C.
280. The “Large Retail Establishment
Ordinance” would apply to all retail
stores larger than 70,000 square feet,
which is a size larger than most normal
grocery stores.
The “Big Box” ordinance, as it is
nicknamed, is supported by the Northern
Beaufort County Regional Plan, which is

They asserted that the new amendment
to lengthen a dock did not fall under
the jurisdiction of the prevailing county
ordinance since it applied to an old
permit that was issued prior to the
ordinance’s passage. OCRM concurred
with the developers and approved the
request.
A Bad Precedent
When construction of the 720-foot
dock began earlier this year, Beaufort
County zoning administrator Hillary
Austin issued a stop-work order saying
the amendment to the original dock
permit was so drastic as to constitute a
new permit, which should be subject
to the county’s dock ordinance. She
argued that the lengthening of the dock
and the change in use from private to
joint-use essentially made it a new dock
that OCRM should have processed as a
new permit instead of an amendment to
an old one.

a blueprint crafted by local governments
for land use through 2025. In light
of the threats posed by Wal-Mart’s
proposed super store for Lady’s Island,
the ordinance aims to avoid allowing big
box development where it will overwhelm
existing infrastructure, such as roads and
sewer, or where it is inappropriate for a
particular location due to low elevation or
incompatibility with existing land uses.
Patrick Moore, League South Coast
Office Director, praises the proposed
ordinance for recognizing that big-box
retail stores are not appropriate for every
c oa s ta l c o n s e rvat i o n l e ag u e

17

This summer, Beaufort County’s
Zoning Board of Appeals sided with
OCRM’s original approval of the longer
dock and overturned the stop-work
order to allow construction of the dock
to resume.
The Zoning Board’s decision
affirming OCRM’s approval sets a bad
precedent, according to League staffer
Reed Armstrong. “Anyone who is on one
of these small tidal creeks and has a dock
permit could apply for an amendment
for a longer dock and that dock could
be built, regardless of whether it meets
or exceeds the county’s standards. As a
result, Beaufort County’s dock ordinance
becomes meaningless.
“The process should have started
over,” Armstrong continues. “OCRM
should not be able to amend a permit
that is nearly a decade old that flies
in the face of prevailing county law.”
Beaufort County Council is appealing
the Zoning Board of Appeals ruling.

site. “This ordinance represents sound
planning by locating large commercial
activity where infrastructure exists and
away from marshes and historic areas,”
Moore states. “Using zoning as a tool
to guide regional growth can encourage
economic expansion, protect existing
businesses, and prevent sprawl.” The
ordinance has passed first reading and
will be a temporary measure until
Beaufort County and its municipalities
decide where large retail is appropriate
through the ongoing Comprehensive
Planning process.

Members' Corner

Staff News
Nancy Cregg

“Wednesdays at the Waterfront"
Makes Charleston's 10 Best List

The Conservation League welcomes
its newest staff member, Amanda
Watson, who serves as the
Development and Finance Assistant
to Development Director Tish Lynn
and Finance Director Ashley Waters.
Amanda grew up on John’s Island
and earned a B.S. in Psychology
at the College of Charleston. She
enjoys traveling, cooking, reading
and knitting.

Nancy Cregg

Meet Amanda
Watson!

This summer, an alliance that
included the Conservation League,
the City Gallery at Waterfront Park,
and about 100 artists challenged
audiences to ponder more deeply
their relationship to the planet.
They created a compelling Piccolo
Spoleto exhibit entitled “Vanishing
Landscapes” and from there,
sponsored a popular lecture
series called “Wednesdays at the
Waterfront.” The exhibition and
the speakers prompted discussion
among scores of viewers on topics
ranging from global warming to
water pollution.

(above) Artist Carol
McGill speaks to viewers
about her artwork and
about the inspiration
for her award-winning
painting “Scorched
Earth.”

Welcome to our
Youngest Members!
Addie Parsons Geer (top) was born to
League Development Associate Alison
Geer and her husband Arthur on August
6th, weighing in at 8 pounds, one ounce
and measuring 20 inches long.

(left) Artist Carol McGill
and Ben Moore, Director
of the League’s Energy
and Climate Program,
explore with participants
the issue of global
warming and what
South Carolina can do to
address it.

Members' Corner
Just off Eddings Point Road on St. Helena Island, nearly 30
friends of the Conservation League gathered to celebrate
and partake of the bounty of Marshview Community Organic
Farm. At Marshview, landowner and teacher Sara Reynolds is
educating young people and passing down the knowledge of
traditional farming and self-sufficiency. Together with other
interested residents and coop members, the youth are growing
valuable crops, learning management skills and healthy eating
habits, and practicing good stewardship of the land.

League members and friends dine “al fresco” on the bounty of
Marshview Farm, beautifully prepared by Bateaux Restaurant
owner and chef, Richard Wilson.

LIVE OAK SOCIETY
Contributions Received from
August 1, 2007 - July 31, 2008

The Coastal Conservation League works very hard to ensure that all donor names are
listed correctly, however, occasional mistakes do occur. Please contact the Development
Office at (843) 723-8035, ext. 1103 with any questions or corrections.
$10,000+

COASTAL LEGACY SOCIETY
The Coastal Legacy Society honors those who have provided for the
Coastal Conservation League through their wills or estate plans. By
making a gift to the Coastal Legacy Society, you will join this group of
extraordinary individuals in their commitment to protect the Lowcountry
for generations. If you are interested in finding out more about naming
the Coastal Conservation League in your will or estate plans, please
contact Development Director Tish Lynn at (843) 725-2065.
Anonymous (1)
Ethel-Jane Westfeldt Bunting
Russell and Judith Burns
Charlotte Caldwell
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Coffee, Jr.
Ms. Marcia Curtis
Howard Drew
Carol B. Ervin
Dr. Annette G. Godow
Miss Florence E. Goodwin
Mr. and Mrs. Jon P. Liles
Dr. Thomas R. Mather
Miles F. McSweeney
Ellen and Mayo Read
Mr. Jason A. Schall
Mr. and Mrs. John J. Tecklenburg
Janis Hammett-Wegman and Charles Wegman

t the heart of the
Conservation League’s
The Time is Now
campaign lies the
question: “What is our vision
for this coast – for ourselves
and for our children and
grandchildren?” The answer
is found in our mission (stated
below) and in Tom Blagden’s
inspiring photographs, featured
here and throughout this
newsletter issue.

This photo is from Tom Blagden’s latest book, Spring Island: Rhythms of Nature, to be released this fall. Its portfolio of 130 stunning images,
with passages by Christopher Marsh, delves deeper into the dynamic habitats and wildlife of a unique island community. Tom has been a
professional nature photographer for more than thirty years and has published numerous portfolio books, especially on South Carolina and Maine.
His images have appeared on the cover of Smithsonian and in Outdoor Photographer, as well as in numerous other magazines, calendars and
publications. Tom’s work is devoted to creating a unique sense of place as a celebration of and catalyst for land protection and conservation.
His fine art prints are represented by the Martin Gallery of Charleston and his stock photographs by Larry Ulrich Stock of California.

The mission of the Coastal Conservation League is to protect the natural environment
of the South Carolina coastal plain and to enhance the quality of life of our communities by working
with individuals, businesses and government to ensure balanced solutions.

Calendar of Events

For more information about the Coastal
Conservation League, check out our Web site
at www.CoastalConservationLeague.org

January 13: 5th Annual Conversations with
Conservationists – Come join state senators
and citizens at the State House for this annual
public forum on conservation issues.
For more information, contact Nancy Cregg,
League Director of Membership, at 723-9895
or at nancycregg@scccl.org.

P.O. Box 1765

November 16: Walking Old Woodlands
– Tour Woodlands Plantation near Columbia with
Amanda McNulty of “Making It Grow” and the
Hampton family.

Charleston, S.C. 29402-1765

November 1: Creation Care – Join us at
Springbank Retreat in Williamsburg County for
a presentation by Dr. Rusty Pritchard, National
Director of Outreach for the Evangelical
Environmental Network.